The boss of the world’s biggest spirits maker has expressed his concern at the implications for Scotch whisky if an independent Scotland were to be excluded from the European Union.

Ivan Menezes, the chief executive of Diageo, said it was “extremely important” to the industry that Scotland remained part of the EU to ensure it did not miss out on free trade agreements with key export markets.

The question of whether an independent Scotland would be allowed into the EU has become a key topic of debate ahead of the referendum on independence that will take place in September.